What Might Have Been
by LabyrinthAngel
Summary: A story about what might of happened if Sarah's friend, Alana, had gone to the park that fateful day.
1. The Changeling

**Author's note**- Yay! I'm finally publishing my first story on here. Please be nice. I tried my best on the grammar but there might still be some mistakes.

**Disclaimer- **I do not own Labyrinth. I never had and I never will. If I did, somewhere in the Labyrinth would be snack machines, a gift shop, and a Karaoke bar.

**Scuzzle bug-** Karaoke! *starts singing Last Friday Night, badly*

**Me- ***throws a cookie across the room and watches Scuzzle bug chase after it* There that should keep her busy for awhile. Now, on with the story!

Alana Hope wasn't like other girls. She was a changeling, but of course she didn't remember. She was a mere babe when the exchange took place after all. Sometimes she would have memories of staring at the ceiling of a ramshackle cottage, or being watched over by a weathered lady with turquoise eyes, but she waved them away. They were just the products of an over active imagination.

Alana grew up as a human (the parents, school, a younger sibling), but her otherworldly nature and talent manifested itself in two ways. First, she had an unnatural talent for dancing. She could twist and twirl her body to the beat of any rhythm and if she really got into it she could make her dance quite grotesque or hauntingly beautiful. Her mother wanted her to take ballet lessons, but Alana did not want to be a ballerina. She just wanted to dance.

Secondly, Alana could converse with animals. She could understand them when they spoke and she could speak back to them as well. Or she could connect with them mentally and talk to them that way. Her conversations included but were not limited to, her cats Trouble and Sawdust, the neighbor's dog, her canary Pigpen, the mouse family that lived in the cupboard, and a very ill-tempered grass snake that took up residence in the garden and always had a cold, Shakes.

Alana liked talking to her non-human companions, for she found they were easy to confide in and she never had to worry about them telling her secrets. She also found many of them had issues of their own and would often ask her for advice. Trouble jokingly called her the Critter Counselor.

Her behavior worried her parents, at first. They constantly told her to go out and play with the neighborhood children, but as children often do they sensed she was different and would not let her play. Even before they had moved it had been that way. That was until she'd met Sarah Williams, a girl who lived across the street.

She figured out quickly that one of her doggy pals, Merlin, belonged to Sarah. The two ran into each other at the park and quickly began talking. They found they had much in common and had soon formed a very close bond. Thankfully their friendship was enough to quiet her parents fears.

Alana wasn't normal, she knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt, but it wasn't until the week of her sixteenth birthday that she learned just how different she really was.

**Author's note- **Ok, I know this is short but it's just the prologue. The next chapter is longer, I promise. I hope you like it so far. Please Review. Also no flames. Flamers will be dipped head first into the Bog of Eternal Stench.

*Scuzzle bug appears dripping wet and stinking to high heaven*

****I think I've proved my point. :)


	2. The Owl

**Author's note- **Alright here it is. The first real chapter of this story. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer- **Do not own the Labyrinth, and it's probably a good thing too.

"Okay Tonto," I said lifting the red slider turtle from the shoe box I'd fixed up for him. "Let's take a look at your leg. If it's healed you get to go home today."

I laid him down on my desk, turned on the desk lamp, and sat down in my chair. I'd found Tonto a few days earlier at the park. He was upside down on his shell and had a nasty cut on his front leg. When I picked him up he'd tried to snap my finger off but after a quick introduction and a promise that I wouldn't turn him into turtle stew, he'd allowed me to bring him to my house and patch him up.

I'd hidden him in my jacket so my mother wouldn't see him. She hated it when I found critters and brought them home. Especially if they were harmful. Thank heavens she didn't know about Shakes or she would lose her ever lovin mind. My mother didn't understand me and, she never had and I didn't think she ever would. I could never please her no matter how hard I tried, so I stopped trying and decided to just be myself.

Anyways, I had brought the injured creature upstairs to my room and put him on my desk. After finding some gauze and disinfectant, I'd cleaned his cut and wrapped it. Then I'd found an old shoe box and fixed it up for him to stay in. Now today was most likely his last day in Casa de la Hope, and I was kind of sad to see him go.

"Hey quit rubbin' my shell. I'm a turtle not a cat. I ain't gonna purr if I get excited like fuzz ball over there," Tonto grumbled in his Mexican accent. At least that's what it sounded like to me. At the purr comment, my cat Trouble hissed at Tonto from his perch on the window sill. That was one thing I wouldn't miss, Tonto and Trouble's constant bickering. I rolled my eyes. So much like children.

"And I'm a high school student not a vet," I retorted, unwrapping his leg. "So be still or I won't give you a treat."

I checked the cut. It had completely healed as far as I could tell. I told him to flex it which he did with minor difficulty because it was stiff but after a few moments it was fine.

"Oh wow, you really did patch me up," Tonto exclaimed. "How can I repay you doc? Anything you want."

"How about serving him up as a treat for your cats?" Trouble suggested. My other cat, Sawdust snickered from her spot on my bed.

"Trouble!" I scolded him then turned to Tonto. "You don't owe me anything Tonto. I didn't mind at all."

"Well, he said anything," Trouble defended himself. "Besides I'm starving." Then to prove his point he meowed pitifully.

"Eat Pigpen," Sawdust offered.

"Don't go dragging me into this pussy cat," squawked my canary from his perch. He didn't have a cage, instead I built a birdhouse for him and it was nailed to the wall. He was free to fly about the room and in the backyard but he dared not venture further than that. He ruffled his vibrant yellow feathers and clicked his beak. He and Sawdust didn't really like each other but were civil, aside from the time she tried to eat him.

"No thanks. I don't eat junk food," Trouble replied eliciting snickers from everyone but Pigpen, who just turned and went into his house. I sighed.

"Ok guys, be nice," I chastised them. Shutting off the lamp, I picked up Tonto and grabbed my jacket off the back of the chair. I slipped it on and placed the reptile in the pocket. "I'm off to take Tonto home. Behave while I'm gone. I better not hear from my mom that ya'll caused a ruckus."

"Will do boss," Trouble replied hoping from the window sill to the bed to curl next to Sawdust. They made quite an odd pair. Trouble was a pure bred Siamese tomcat who had been a gift from my parents on my fifth birthday. Sawdust was some sort of Tabby mix that I had found and brought home as a stray two years ago. They warmed to each other instantly, and it didn't take long for me to realize Trouble was crazy for her.

But for some reason Sawdust didn't feel like being cuddly at the moment. She got up and moved to the other end of my bed. I found it odd because she didn't normally spurn his attentions. She'd been unusually moody lately and I wondered why.

"Females…," Trouble huffed under his breath but Dusty heard it and looked at him.

"What was that tomcat?" she questioned. She only called him tomcat when she was upset.

"Nothing dear," he replied quickly, suddenly interested in the bed sheets. I rolled my eyes and walked towards my door.

"Bye guys," I called back, heading down the stairs and out the front door, completely ignoring my mom calling after me. I already knew what she was going to say.

"Don't be out too late."

"Don't talk to strangers."

_Look both ways before you cross the street,_ I thought smirking as I trudged down the porch steps and walked towards the park. Sighing to myself, I glanced around the town I'd lived in for the past eight years. It wasn't very big and the only place I ever bothered to visit was the library and the park. It was only a ten minute trek to my destination , five if I had taken my bike, and I smiled as I surveyed the layout.

The park was basically a huge meadow with a stream flowing through it and a small stone bridge leading to the other side. Dense woods bordered one side of the park and when I was younger I often got in trouble for venturing into the forestry. An occasional park bench or large stone could be spotted amongst the grass and flowers but my favorite thing in the park was the large obelisk that stood near the edge of the woods.

I walked along the water's edge, careful not to fall in, and pulled Tonto from my pocket.

"Oh man did I miss the fresh air!" he exclaimed. "No cat smell to stink up the joint."

I laughed. I like Tonto and I would have offered him a permanent residence at my house but I knew this was where he belonged. Besides him and Trouble would have ended up getting into a fight.

"Yeah, " I said. "It's nice to get out. I love this place."

"Me too," he sighed. "Doc, thanks again for patching me up. You're a life saver."

"No problem," I replied. "I'm happy to help, and by the way my name is Alana. So can it with the doc."

"So feisty," he laughed. "Hey can I still visit ya?"

"Sure," I answered, touched that he still wanted to hang out around me. Most of the animals I nursed I never saw again after I turned them loose. Talk about under appreciated. "Just let me come to you cause Shakes doesn't like anyone coming into his yard and I don't want him to eat you. I come here nearly every day." I stared out at the stream and sighed. It was time to let Tonto go. "Okay buddy, time to head off. I'll see you around, I promise."

With that I lowered him towards the water. He was swimming before he even reached the stream and once I'd let him go he was off.

"Gracias senorita!" he called back. Then I heard him yell, "Hasta la vista baby!"

I watched him go, sad at his departure but glad I would see him soon. I always grew rather attached to the animals I helped, they were my weak spot. I was a soft hearted person but deep down I'd always been a fighter as well.

Suddenly I heard a familiar set of paws racing towards me and the sound of a sheep dog barking.

"Alana!" Merlin shouted as he raced towards me. I turned around and stepped out of the way just in time to avoid being barreled into by the overgrown ball of shaggy fur. Unfortunately he wasn't able to stop before he ended up falling into the stream. He yelped at the cold water and I had to jump out of the way to avoid the splash. "Yikes that's cold! Help! Dog overboard!"

I laughed as he lumbered out of the water, his fur matted, making him look like a wet mop. He shook himself and this time I couldn't avoid getting hit. When he was done he padded over to me and began sniffing my jeans.

"I don't have anything Merlin," I told him, patting him on the head. "I'm all out of doggy treats so you'll just have to wait till I buy more."

"Lies!" he barked sniffing some more. "You have something in your pocket. I know. I can smell it."

"I had a turtle in my jacket earlier, that's what you're smelling," I said. He just kept sniffing.

"Lies," he said again before placing a muddy paw on my leg, staining my jeans.

"Merlin!" I heard someone shout, I looked up and saw my best friend Sarah running in our direction. She was wearing a handmade princess gown over her jeans and she had a ring of cheap, silk flowers in her raven hair. She was out of breath when she reached us and her cat green eyes were sparkling. "There you are. Why did you take off like that?" she scolded her dog. He padded over to her and sat down beside her.

"He must have smelled me," I laughed. "He thought I had treats."

"He just ate this morning. I swear he's a bottomless pit," she giggled. Merlin huffed indignantly. "So where have you been? I found a new play to rehearse and I want to show it to you."

"I was busy," I replied vaguely. "What's this new play? You've been talking about it nonstop for the past few days."

Sarah pulled a small leather book out of her pocket and handed it to me. I held it and read the title_. Labyrinth_. It was a simple title but for some reason it sent an odd sensation through me. It sounded so familiar. For a moment I saw flashes of huge stone walls outside a window but it was gone in an instant. I gave it back to her and ran a hand through my hair.

"What's it about?" I asked.

Sarah grabbed my hand and started to pull me towards the large obelisk.

"You'll see," she said.

Merlin and I sat on the park bench, watching Sarah rehearse scenes from _Labyrinth_. Well really we were pretending to watch, but actually we were having a silent conversation about Sarah's stepmother as I scratched his head. I'd met Karen once or twice and she seemed nice enough. I'd also taken an instant liking to Sarah's baby brother Toby. He was so adorable and I loved to hold him. Sarah was a different story. She didn't like Karen or Toby and refused to accept them. It was one of the few things we argued about.

We hadn't been sitting there long, maybe twenty minutes or less, when I noticed a large barn owl swoop down and land on the obelisk. I found it very odd for an owl to be out during the day and odder still that it was a barn owl. It was very uncommon to see one in our area. Another thing I found strange was that I hadn't seen where it had come from. It was as if it had just appeared out of thin air.

_"Where did he come from?_" I asked myself, stopping from petting the sheep dog. Merlin's head lifted from its place in my lap to look at the owl. He then laid his head back down and watched Sarah.

_"Ignore him. He comes here every time she rehearses this play,"_ he told me.

_"Really?" _I wondered. He huffed in response and I started petting him again. I stared at the owl and decided to try and speak to it. _"She's a good actress isn't she?" _I asked it.

The owl's head turned and it stared at me. It did not reply but instead tilted its head quizzically in way that reminded me of a human. I smiled and nodded to show it had been me that had spoken to it and it tilted its head further.

_"Hi, my name is Alana,"_ I greeted it._ "What 's yours?"_

Again the owl did not answer but continued to stare at me with that questioning gaze. I tried once more to converse with the owl but finally gave up, thinking it didn't want to talk to me. I turned to watch Sarah but found my attention constantly straying to the majestic creature atop the obelisk. Each time I looked it was still staring at me. When it finally looked away I heard a strong voice in my head. The tone was soft but strong, with just the slightest hint at an accent.

_"Jareth,"_ it said. _"My name is Jareth."_

I smiled, feeling slightly triumphant, when Merlin suddenly barked. I sat up strait and looked at Sarah who was staring at her dog.

"Oh, Merlin," she sighed. Just then the clock tower chimed signaling the hour. Sarah glanced up and her eyes widened with shock. "I don't believe it, it's seven o'clock!" With that she called her dog and ran towards home. Almost instantly after that rain started to pour from the sky, drenching me from head to foot. I didn't mind. I loved the rain.

I stood and looked at the obelisk and saw that the barn owl was gone. I glanced around but there was no sign of him. I sighed before looking up at the clouds. Water splashed over me, soaking me to the bone. I enjoyed it and closed my eyes to relish the feel of it against my skin. The rain splashed on the ground creating a primal rhythm. I smiled. I always love to dance in the rain.

Without worrying if anyone saw me or not I closed my eyes and started to move to the beat I was hearing in my mind. I twisted, turned, spun and leapt, swaying to music only I could hear. I didn't need someone else, the rain was my partner, guiding my movements.

When I finally stopped I was panting and my legs were weak with exhaustion. I shivered now for the heat was wearing off quickly. I looked at the clock tower. 7:25. I'd been dancing for nearly thirty minutes. My mom was gonna have a field day.

Taking off in a sprint I raced across the stone bridge towards home. I took the back alleys as a short cut and ended up in the back yard of the house. Walking towards the flower garden I found a large stone. With minor difficulty I lifted it to find a large grass snake curled underneath. It was Shakes. I named him that cause he always shook when he got cold and he sneezed all the time. He was shaking now and he hissed at my approach.

"G…go a…aw…away," he hissed between shivers.

"Come on Shakes," I said, shoving up the sleeve of my jacket and holding my arm towards him. "You'll catch you death out here. It's nice and warm inside."

"F…fi…fine," he muttered slithering up and wrapping himself around my arm. I couldn't suppress a shiver at the feel of those scales sliding along my flesh. I yanked down my sleeve and ran inside to the kitchen. My mom was waiting for me but I ignored her and raced upstairs to my room. I closed the door behind me and locked it. Once I knew I was safe I let out a sigh of relief. I pulled off my jacket and threw it on my bed at Trouble who hopped out of the way before it hit him. He hates getting wet, unlike Dusty who loves water.

I grabbed a small cardboard box and placed an old pillow case in it. I sat it in a corner before unplugging my desk lamp and placing it beside the box. I set it up and flicked it on, aiming the light into the box. I then let Shakes slither off my arm and into the box were he began to soak up the artificial sun I'd made for him.

"You're letting another reptile into the house?" Pigpen squawked from the window sill. "Your nuts if you think I'm going to stay under the same roof as him."

"You didn't have a problem with Tonto," I reminded him, grabbing my pj's from my dresser. "He's a reptile."

"Yeah but at least I didn't have to worry about him trying to eat me," my canary muttered. "Besides your mom would kill you if she knew you let a snake into her house."

"Shakes won't eat you," I assured him. "Plus what my mom doesn't know won't hurt her. Now quit your chirping before my dad comes up here and decides to toss you out."

Pigpen clicked his beak and muttered a few swear words,. That's just what I needed. A talking bird with a potty mouth. I sighed and left my room for the bathroom. Once inside I got a towel from under the cabinet and began shedding my wet clothes.

I found myself thinking about the owl. I liked his name. Jareth. It sounded mysterious and dangerous. Yet underneath his tone I'd caught the sound of bitter loneliness. I wanted to speak to him and learn about him. I wondered what he was like and how he spent his days. And why the play Sarah had rehearsed had caught his attention.

I shook off these thoughts. I sounded like I had a crush on him which was impossible. He was an animal. I wasn't gonna stoop to bestiality. I might be single but I wasn't that desperate. Still, there had been something not quite right about Jareth. The way he had stared at me had made him seem all to human. What if…?

I shook my head. It was impossible. True but so is talking to animals which I had been able to do even before I said my first word. I sighed. It didn't matter now. The fact was I'd probably never see Jareth again. The thought made me feel a little sad but I did my best to ignore it.

Suddenly a loud clap of thunder shook the house causing me to jump. I laughed at myself before turning on the hot water full blast. I slid into the shower, determined to forget about the mysterious barn owl. I turned on the shower head effectively drowning out the storm.

**Author's note- **Sweet! First chapter finished! Review please, or else.

**Scuzzle bug- **Or else what?

**Me- **Or else I'll burn all your photos of David Bowie.

**Scuzzle bug-** But I'm your alter ego. If you burned my pictures you'd be burning your own.

**Me-** Touche. Well then, I guess I'll just have to hope people review.


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